Pendulum-adjuster for clocks.



PATBNTBD AUG. 30, 1904.

J. R. SIMS.

PENDULUM ADJUSTER FOR CLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. i903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented ugust 30, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. SIMS, OF BARNESVILLE, GEORGIA, ASSGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO W. O. STAFFORD, OF BARNESVILLE, GEORGIA.

PENDULUM-ADJUSTER FOR CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,913, dated August 30, 1904.

.application le November 28, 1903. Serial No. 132,954. (No model.)

T0 (LH whom, it nfl/ay concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN R. Snes, acitiaen of the United States, residing at Barnesville, in the county of Pike and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pendulum-Adjusters for Clocks, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in means for suspending cloclr-pendulums, and has for its object to provide simple and effective means for automaticallyand manually adjustinga clock-pendulum in order that the same may be kept in accurate beat notwithstanding the position of the clock-that is, whether the clock is resting upon a perfectly level base or whether it is resting upon a hase that is unlevel.

i ain aware that various devices have been heretofore patented with a view of overcoming this most serious objection and prevailing difficulty; but in most cases, if not in all, the objection has heen only partially overcome, chieliy because proper means for securing a snilicientiy wide range of adjustment oi the vital parts has not been provided. Y

It is the prime object of this invention to provide suoli means whereby all those parts requiring it may be easily and quickly ad# justed in order to put the cloek-penduium. in perfect beat.

A further object of the invention is to providea novel construction and arrangement of parts for accomplishing the end in View that may be readily attached to or embodied in clocks already in use and with comparatively little expense.

Briefly and generally stated, the invention comprisesa pivoted gravity bar or frame carrying a laterally-adjustable weight, which is adapted to maintain said bar or frame in a true vertical position at all times, said pivoted har or frame carrying the ordinary split stud, to which the Flexible end of the pendulum rod is attached.

The invention further comprises novel means for mounting the weight upon the gravity har or frame and for adjusting said weight laterally, whereby line adjustments may he secured.

The invention further comprises other novel features of construction to accomplish certain other desired ends, all of which will he made ciear in the following detailed description.

In order to enable others to clearly understand, make. and use my said invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had for this purpose to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of the works of a clock with my improvements appiied thereto as to enable one to clearly understand the invention. Fig. 2 is a simiiar view showing the works tiited or representing the clock as resting upon an unlevel support.` Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View on the line .fr :n of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective Yview of a spring-washer emjpioyed in the construction.

Referring now to the drawings, the rei"- erenee-nunieral 1 designates one side of a clock-frame, 2 the usual works or gears, 3 the escapement-Ywheel, i the verge, and 5 the verge or chitch wire, all of which parts are of 0rdinary construction.

Extending transversely ot' the frame 1 at the lower end thereof is a cross-bar G, from which the novel parts of my invention are suspended, as will hereinafter appear. This cross-har may be made integral with the frame, or it may he made as a separato part and attached thereto by screws 7, as hereshown. The latter'described construction is the one employed when my attachment is being applied to clocks already in use.

Pivotally connected centrally of the crosshar 6 by a pivot pin or screw 8 is a gravity har or trame 9, having an upward extension i@ and a forked or bifurcated lower end 12, the extensions of which are provided with open hearings 13, for a purpose presently to appear. The Said pivotpin 8 is passed through the gravity har or frame 9, through the cross-har (i, and through a bracket 14, secured to the said cross-bar, a nut being tapped upon the threaded end of said pivot. In order to prevent the pivot-pin 8 from turning and also to prevent free movement of the gravity-bar 9 incident to the swing of the pendulum, I arrange between said gravitybar and the cross-bar 6 a spring-washer 16, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) said washer being provided with a central opening 17,through which the pivot-pin 8 passes. It Will be obvious that by turning the pivot-pin 8 to the right or left, as desired, the spring-washer will be compressed more or less and the frictional resistance between the parts increased or diminished to secure a proper working of the gravity bar or frame. A threaded rod 18, provided on one end with a thumbpiece 19, is journaled to rotate in the open bearings 13, formed at the forked end of the gravity-bar, and suspended from this threaded rod 18 is the gravity-weight 20, said gravity-weight being mounted upon a rod 21, having a forked upper end 22, the ends of the fork being formed as nuts 23, the threads of which register with the threads on the rod 18. It willbe evident from the foregoing that by turning the' threaded rod 18 the gravity-weightv may be shifted from right to left, as desired, and

i fine adjustments thus secured.

The novel manner of suspending the gravity-weight from the pivoted gravity bar or frame is also important and of advantage, since the construction provides what may be termed a universal hin ge-joint, the purpose of which is to permit the gravity-weight to swing in or out without affecting the ,position of the gravity bar or frame incase the clock is tilted forward or backward.

The upward extension 1() of the gravity bar or frame carries the ordinary split stud 24, to which the fiexible part 25 of the pendulum-rod 26 is attached. This rod 2G is provided at its lower end with a hook 27, to which a rod 28 is removably attached, and upon this rod 28 is mounted the clock-pendulum 29, which maybe adjusted up and down by means of a nut 30, threaded upon the rod 28. These latter-named parts are of usual construction and are shown in dotted lines. The lower end of the guide or clutch wire 5 is provided with a loop or eye 3l, that is disposed and maintained at all times directly in front of the pivot 8, and through this loop or eye 31 the pendulum-rod 26 freely passes.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the gravity bar or frame as well as the pendulum are both suspended from a. single pivot and that all the remaining parts of the clock are free to move concentric to said pivot, so that notwithstanding the posiof the clock-that is, whether it is resting on a level or an unlevel base-the vital parts that would ordinarily be affected if the clock were resting unlevel will not be disturbed in the least, and the pendulum will thus be kept` in accurate beat at all times.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, as changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the following claims. In this connection l will state that instead of the spring-washer 16, employed to increase the friction of the gravity-fratrie, I may use any other form of spring, the washer here shown being only by way of example. In order that there may be no interference between the pendulum-weight 29 and the gravity-weight 20 and bar 21 during the oscillations of the pendulum, which latter, it will be understood, is located in front of said bar and weight, I prefer to bend the forked ends 12of the bar 2l slightly backward, so as to give a clear space of, say, one-half inch, more or less, between the said bar 21 and pendulum-weight 29.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a pendulum-adjuster for clocks,a gravity-bar comprising a member pivoted to the clock-frame, a Weighted bar freely suspended from said member and laterally movable thereon, and means on the gravity-bar to engage a pendulum.

2. In a pendulum-adjuster for clocks, a gravity-bar comprising a member pivoted to the frame, a weight-suspending bar connected to said member and laterally movable thereon, means on the member to engage a pendulum, and means on the gravity-bar to move the suspending-bar, transversely of the member in both directions.

3. In a pendulum-adjuster for clocks, the combination with a clock-frame, of a gravitybar pivotally connected thereto, a threaded rod journaled in bearings carried by said bar, a weight having a threaded connection with said rod and freely suspended therefrom, and a pendulum carried by said gravity-bar.

4. In a pendulum-adjuster for clocks, the combination with a clock-frame, of a gravitybar pivotally connected thereto and having a forked lower end, a threaded rod journaled in the forked end of said bar` a weight having a threaded connection with said rod, means for turning the threaded rod to adjust the weight laterally thereon, and a pendulum carried by said gravity-bar.

5. In a pendulum-adjuster for clocks,a gravity-bar comprising a member pivoted to the frame, a rod arranged transversely of said member, a weighted bar freely suspended on said rod, and laterally adjustable thereon, means to engage a pendulum, and means to adjust said Weighted bar.

IOO

scribing witnesses.`

JOHN B.. SIMS.

6. ln :L pendulum-adjuster forelocks,agrav ibylmr comprising e, member pivobed to the cloelvfmme, means on said member to engage a pendulum, a weight freely suspended from seid member an capable of moving toward and away f rom the frame, and means eo adjust said weight, laterally relatively Lo the member.

TWitnesses: W. J. SIKES, J. P. THURMAN. 

